Embodiments of the invention relate generally to the field of non-invasive imaging, including medical imaging.
Imaging plays a pivotal role in today's trauma assessment and intervention. Imaging is used for injury assessment in cases where the patient's condition is not immediately life threatening and where the extent of an injury is uncertain. In a hospital setting, ultrasound and X-ray radiography are widely available and commonly employed. However, despite the imaging advantages of X-ray fluoroscopy or computed tomography (CT), their use in assessment is limited by several factors including equipment availability, patient transport and delay. For example, transport and set-up of CT or X-ray C-arm systems is challenging due to the equipments size, weight, and fragility of moving parts. High-speed gantry rotations required for 3D imaging require facilities support for safe reliable operation that is not always available. In providing trauma assessment and care in military far forward settings, for example, imaging systems should be easily transportable with few to no high speed moving parts.